Health Care Reform:

Health Insurance & Affordable Care Act

New York State of Health

Get information on New York's health insurance Marketplace.

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New York State of Health

Who Is the Marketplace for?

The New York State of Health insuranceMarketplace is where eligible residents can shop for and buy insurance in person, online, or by phone. In New York, the Marketplace is run by the state government. The Marketplace, also called an Exchange, is mainly for people who:

The Affordable Care Act required most Americans to sign up for health insurance in 2014. Generally, you don't need to buy insurance through the Marketplace if you are covered by Medicaid, Medicare, TRICARE, or an employer-sponsored plan.

When You Can Enroll: The next open enrollment period is Nov. 15, 2014, to Feb. 15, 2015. Enroll online at nystateofhealth.ny.gov or call 855-355-5777 from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday.

If you have a life-changing event -- such as the birth of a child, losing your job, or moving to a new state -- you don't have to wait for the next enrollment period. You can sign up or change coverage within 60 days of the event.

Plans and Costs

Getting Started: You’ll need to provide information about you and your family members when you apply. Here’s a checklist of what you’ll need:

Social Security number (or document number if you are a legal immigrant)

W-2 forms: Wage and tax statements or pay stubs for all employed members of the household; for people who are self-employed or do not have a regular salary, include an estimate of household income.

Policy numbers of health insurance plans covering any members of the household

Types of Plans: All insurance plans on the Marketplace are sold by private companies or co-ops. They can offer four types of coverage: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. These “metal level” plans all cover the same kinds of benefits. The difference is how much they pay on average toward the costs of health care services. Another type of plan is called catastrophic. These have less expensive monthly fees called premiums, but they also offer less coverage. Catastrophic plans are mainly for healthy people under 30.